City man faces charges in breakin

LOWELL- A33-year-old Lowell man, allegedly captured on a Whipple Road resident's video-surveillance system, was arrested as one of three suspects involved in a break-in at a Tewksbury home Dec. 3.

In Lowell District Court Friday, Joseph Gagnon, of 381 Hildreth St., Apt. 307, pleaded not guilty to charges of breaking and entering into a building in the daytime for a felony, conspiracy and larceny over $250.

Judge Michael Uhlarik ordered Gagnon, who has a a lengthy criminal record, held without bail on a probation violation for a similar type of case and set bail at $5,000 in the Tewksbury case.

A pretrial hearing and violation of probation hearing are scheduled for Jan. 3.

Defense attorney Thomas Mixon said Gagnon denies the charges and may have an alibi defense.

Co-defendants Shawn Keefe, 32, of Lowell, and Erica Ruane, 25, of 15 Cannongate Road, Tyngsboro, have already been arraigned on charges in the case.

Prosecutor Jennifer O'Neil said Tewksbury police were notified Monday about a housebreak at 666 Whipple Road due to an alert from a residential alarm.

Police learned there was forced entry into the house and several witnesses reported seeing a suspicious black car parked at a driveway of a home close to the address.

The homeowner reported his wife's jewelry box was missing.

Ruane was charged with daytime breaking-and-entering with the intent to commit a felony, larceny of property valued at more than $250 and conspiracy.

Police said more evidence led them to Keefe, who faces the same charges as Ruane.

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Lowell police officers who arrived at Keefe's address said they also discovered between seven and 10 grams of heroin in his possession along with several pills of the anti-anxiety drug Klonopin, for which he did not have a prescription.

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